The Black Teeth

III - Wes

Wes had two problems, his hair, and that he had no jobs to work on. Which was worse, he couldn't tell. Everyone had pretty much left the gang except Jasmine and Clyde. He wasn't about to walk though, they needed him. It would he soon enough before Clyde burst through the door and tell him. The last two weeks had been the worst the gang had ever experienced since his time served. Clyde had found him in an alleyway, beaten and weakened, and offered him protection. Wes had no choice, he had to take it. People were hunting him for his simple pickpocket crimes, but if only they saw him now. He'd get more then just a beating. Wes's specialty in the gang was his role as Marksman. Able to handle any ranged weapon put in his hands he was a highly trained shot. He carried at least one revolver on him at all times, usually strapped around his waist. He learned how important it was to have defence on him, at anytime you could be in need of defense.

He sat at his table cleaning his runs when a few knocks came at his door. Hesitating, he lowered his gun back onto the table, and reached for the handle.

"Come with me." Clyde's voice was snarled and twitchy as if he had just been in a fight with someone, which now come to think of it, was Clyde's was of saying hello.

"And a very good hello to you as well."

"We don't have time for mocking tones or sly comments. Follow me."

Wes followed Clyde into his office, where Jasmine already sat.

"Oh damn, am I getting let go?" He said sarcastically.

"Not many more people to lose." Jasmine mumbled, eyeing Clyde suspiciously.

"Look we don't have anyone left, and yes that's entirely my fault," Clyde returnedJasmine an uneasy look as she smiled to herself. ", Since Hardam left we learned our true alliances and enemies. Though I let some walk, I learned who I can really trust with my next jobs."

"Your telling me you actually had a plan all along?" Jasmine voice rose slightly.

Clyde shuffled through some papers before handing Wes an envelope, and pulling another one at the ready.

"Yes, and if you were to wait some a little longer you would have cracked the case. That's not the point right now though. Those who would have left showed us that they weren't of use to us. Unfortunately though, that said number of people was more then I or anyone anticipated. Look we need more people who will actually do work here for our next job, which these letters will regard. Hardam left us something, and I think it's of worth for us to find."

Wes dug his eyes onto the letters sprawled before him on the note, each forming a new thought in his mind till he finished it.

"What does this mean-"

They already knew what he was regarding. The riddle was of major confusion to everyone.

"We don't know yet. I'm heading out though, I'll be back in a bit." Clyde snatched his wolf cane, which was the perfect height for him, and they watched him leave.

"Where the hell does he think he's going." Wes said once Clyde was out of earshot.

"Probably just occurred to him that we need members like, now." Jasmine said with emphasis on the "now".

"Let's try and solve this while he's out, might as well make ourselves useful. Not like we have anything else to do." Wes suggested. He pulled both letters towards them, the one already reading,

The colour of difference shows the way when the path is unclear

The other,

The stick of the devil, in the depths of hell leads to the belly of the beast.

They stared at the words as if they would tell them the answer, but instead they lay flat on the page. Jasmine have a heavy sigh as she thought hard. Wes wondering how often riddles were never solved. Finally after what felt like an century, Jasmine broke into speech.

"The stick of the devil. The wolf cane! Hardam must have hidden something inside the cane, or the belly of the beast."

"Jasmine, never would I have thought I wanted to die more in the time of trying to solve that. Your a bloody genius."

"Don't flatter yourself Wes, there's still another to solve, thus, Clyde took that damned cane with him."

"Clyde won't hand that over cane though. He won't believe it. We have to take it from him when he's not looking, in the blind spot." Wes said. He was right. Clyde wouldn't open years worth of history to find a note, or maybe nothing. But they would.

"The blind spot." Jasmine repeated, slowing each word when speaking. Quickly, she broke off into a run,

"My dorm, tonight, we need a to prepare a bit."

And she was gone. Tonight would be an important night in all of the Black Teeth's history. They just didn't know it yet.